Shipyard sub fire leads to safety recommendations

KITTERY, Maine (AP) — The Navy is issuing recommendations aimed at preventing another fire like the one that ravaged the submarine USS Miami while it was being overhauled.

KITTERY, Maine (AP) — The Navy is issuing recommendations aimed at preventing another fire like the one that ravaged the submarine USS Miami while it was being overhauled.

The Navy says a fire safety and prevention manual for ships during construction and repair incorporates lessons learned after the May 2012 fire at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, Vice Adm. William Hilarides (huh-LAHR'-dess), said U.S. Navy leadership saw a need to "raise our standards and capabilities." Among other things, the manual requires the installation of a temporary automatic fire detection system when a submarine is in dry dock.

The Miami inferno was caused when a shipyard worker set fire to a box of rags in May 2012 in Kittery, Maine. The sub is being scrapped.